


HeartSong

by Tassi_Ki



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Baby Gay Alex, Balcony Kisses, Barely Established Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Carter and Kara bond over Sensory Overload, Cat Grant Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Cat Grant is a boss, F/F, Fluff, Kara is a sensitive little puppy, Maggie is a total sweetheart, Pansexual Kara Danvers, Possibly Polyamorous Kara Danvers & Cat Grant, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sensory Overload, SuperCat Slam - Three
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-08-30 04:45:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8518999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tassi_Ki/pseuds/Tassi_Ki
Summary: Kara has always had issues with anxiety and stress, it's nothing new, but it's usually handled before it can evolve into a panic attack like the ones she had when she first came to earth. Lately however, her safety net is falling apart and the people she reached out to for help aren't as close as they used to be, leaving Kara one push away from a full break down. That push happens to come at just the wrong time, or perhaps the right one, and Cat is left to pick up the pieces of her crumbling junior reporter and find a way to keep her from falling back apart when she's not around.





	1. When the Melody Falls Flat

**Author's Note:**

> An AU where Cat Grant's 'leave of absence' was nothing more then a rumor, Lucy didn't up and disappear, and Kara has sensory overload problems when panicking. Also, Snapper's an ass. One shot for now, although it's starting to look more like a full story in my head, so we'll see.

Kara Danvers was _not_ having a good day. The stress of her not-so-night job was piling up like ten car pile up on an overpass, and between that and Snapper Carr’s ever growing list of demands during her workday, she was quickly going spare. After taking care of Non and the other criminal Kryptonians, Kara thought she’d be seeing a lull in alien activity, a lull in life threatening -superhero needing- events in her city. Nope. Quite the opposite. Apparently most of the lowlifes on Fort Rozz laid low while Non was in power out of the fear of being used like the Helgromite had been used by Astra. Now that her bastard uncle was out of the way, they were growing bolder, and Supergirl’s patience was growing thinner. Between the daily disasters she normally dealt with, and the upswing in rowdy alien criminals looking for a fight...or just having fun blowing things up, it was a miracle she was even able to keep up appearances at CatCo! And to top it all off, the person she normally went to when things got tough, the one she counted on for affection and reassurance, was being a broody, closed off b-bad person!

Her own brooding was rudely interrupted by a sharp rap on her office door and a gruff snap of ‘Ponytail!’ With one last, frustrated glance at her cellphone, Kara stood and made her way to her door, plastering on her sunny smile and opening the door. “Yes Mr. Carr?” She asked as silently prayed that it was nothing serious. “The story you flounced by and dropped on my desk this morning. Re-do it. Or better yet, hand it off to someone who can actually write. Your facts are shaky, your sentence structure abysmal, your punctuation could make a first grader cry, and over all, the story has about as much life as a decade old corpse.” The balding man sneered out before shoving a thoroughly red ink covered story into her hands and stalking off, muttering about Cat Grant’s sudden stroke of insanity at her promotion. “Yes sir…” Kara muttered as she watched her new boss stalk down the hall, scattering interns like frightened mice.

Closing the door to her office, she locked it and all but fell back into her desk chair, elbows resting on her desk as she pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes roughly. She could feel tears prickling behind tightly closed eyelids, and her heartbeat picking up despite her best efforts. She hadn’t felt this close to the edge of a full on breakdown since she first came to earth and everything overwhelmed her to the point of panic attacks and loss of control of her powers...which had always led to a complete sensory overload. When she first started getting them, Jeremiah, Rao bless him, had been the one to give her her first coping mechanism. _“When you get overwhelmed,”_ He said, _“when you feel as if you’re drowning and you don’t know which way is up to the surface, close your eyes and listen. Find your safe place, your support system, and listen to us, to our heartbeats, and tune out everything else. Find me, find Eliza, and find Alex. One. Two. Three. And let us calm the storm around you.”_

That had worked wonderfully. The beautiful melody of her family’s heartbeats never failed to sooth her when she panicked. At least...until Jeremiah died. By then, the number three was ingrained in her psych, synonymous with calming down, so listening to her family’s heartbeats didn’t work as well any longer. It did, however, give way to new coping skills that helped over the years when she felt panic seeping in, all of which were intimately intertwined with the number three. Tapping her thigh in threes, finding trios of random objects, arranging those trios (if they were on her desk or within discreet reach of her) into little triangles...and once she settled in at CatCo, finding a new trio of heartbeats that sung to her. James, Winn, and Cat Grant herself had made up her new trio. When things got complicated, AKA becoming Supergirl and being inducted into the DEO, she found that her trio of heartbeats could be interchanged and mixed around. Some days it was James, Winn, and Alex, others it was Hank, Alex, and Vasquez… When Lucy finally joined their tight knit group, she too became a heartbeat that Kara sought out when things got rough.

Lately, however, that support net of heartbeats was falling apart at the seams. Winn was still awkward around her after being friendzoned and starting to feel like less of a ‘safe place’ for her, James was his own can of worms with their failed relationship and his feelings of inadequacy (and the annoying tendency to think she needed protection like a piece of delicate china), and Alex...the one she relied on the most, had clammed up one day and begun brooding, leaving Kara painfully and awkwardly out of the loop.

Now, with the panic seeping into her and seizing up her chest with a ferocity she hadn’t felt in years, she closed her eyes and searched, silently begging Rao for the miracle of Lucy, Hank, or Vasquez being close enough to CatCo to form a trio with Cat’s heartbeat. They weren’t, and she had a debriefing with the other reporters in Cat’s office in five minutes. Letting out a shuddering breath, Kara ran through as many other coping skills as she could before gathering up her pad and walking to Cat’s office.

  
  
  


Cat Grant pursed her lips as she watched her journalists file into her office, her piercing gaze raking over each person, looking for weaknesses, issues, eagerness to work, reasons to fire, and anything else she could pick up. It was her job to be observant after all. When her former assistant entered however, Cat felt her breath leave her lungs as if she’d been hit. For once, it had nothing to do with the fact that maybe, just maybe, she had a _bit_ of a crush on the sunny woman. To put it simply, Kara looked like shit. To the average person, Kara probably looked just as sunny and brilliant as always, but Cat knew better. Cat could see what others missed because as long as Kara had been observing Cat and figuring out what the woman needed (even when Cat didn’t know she needed it), Cat had been watching her assistant and learning about her as well.

The slight tightening in the corners of Kara’s eyes, the way she squinted when pulling out her ‘Sunny Danvers Smile’, the little bit of extra hunch in the meek woman’s posture, the way her gaze darted about, and the way the woman’s curls went a bit flat from what she guessed was excessive tugging. It all pointed to Kara having a very bad day.

Clearing her throat, Cat sat up a bit straighter and waved her hand at her reporters. “Well? Go on. Report. Regale me with the happenings of today, impress me with your dedication.” She drawled out before focusing in on the first brave soul to speak up with all the poise of a lounging predator. Said poor soul was stuttering through an update on the three page spread about the president’s most recent trip to National City, and...despite all that stuttering, was actually mildly impressing her with how much was done. Out of the corner of her eye, something flashed, and her attention shifted before she could help it. The flash of light that caught her attention like her furry namesake, was Kara’s pen. Kara’s pen which was currently being twirled in the girl’s fingers. Once. Twice. Thrice. Pause…Once. Twice. Thrice. Pause… Dear lord that was distracting.

Nostrils flaring, Cat tore her gaze away from the pen and flicked it back to the stuttering mess by her bar, nodding like she’d been paying attention before motioning to the next reporter to talk. Half way through that nitwit’s babbling, a new source of distraction popped up. _Tap, tap, tap._ It was soft, barely noticeable, but Cat had a mother’s hearing, and to her it was loud and clear. _Tap, tap, tap._ Clenching her jaw, Cat forced herself to focus in on the next, and thankfully last reporter needing to update her.

As the man droned on about the article he would be working on, Cat’s gaze drifted back to her former assistant, watching with carefully concealed worry and fascination as the woman switched from the incessant rapping of her pen against her legal pad to tapping her fingers on her thigh. Pointer, middle, ring, repeat. Something was clearly bothering her former assistant in a way she hadn’t witnessed before.

Mind made up, she dismissed her journalists before locking her gaze onto Kara. “Kiera, a moment.” She drawled out, watching the blonde stiffen and turn back to her. As soon as the others were out of her office, she stood, fetching herself a tumbler of M&Ms and motioning towards the side door. “Balcony. Now.” She said calmly, watching the usually sunny woman scramble to flee out onto the private balcony without so much as a ‘Yes Miss Grant’. Something was _really_ wrong.

  
  
  


Kara’s heart dropped when she heard her last safe haven utter Kiera instead of Kara, turning slowly to face the woman as her stomach churned with anxiety. Had Snapper talked to her? Was she disappointed in Kara’s work? Was she losing faith in her? Or perhaps, was that rumor about Cat leaving going to be proven true…?

At the firm order to go to the balcony, Kara fled out the side door and to the most out of sight corner, sinking down into one of the fluffy armchairs. Without another thought, she began rearranging the little knick knacks on the side table next to her, grouping the little candles into threes, then the shells (by color and shape as well), then the flowers in the vase (and discarding the few flowers that didn’t match in trios), all the while unaware of the one person audience she’d just acquired.

  
  


 

Cat Grant stepped out onto her balcony, only to stop short at the sight of the woman who had wormed her way into her bitter, jaded heart. The woman who was currently rearranging her decorations with near neurotic precision. This screamed of self learned coping skills in a way that hit home hard for Cat. Carter had developed his own set of coping skills to deal with his sensory overloads before Cat had found a doctor to help her understand what her precious boy had been going through.

Thankfully, that doctor had been a godsend for them, and had helped her develop her own set of skills to help Carter through his panic attacks and shut downs, and it seemed like she would need to pull out those skills and dust them off for Kara today. Stepping forward, she carefully settled down on the foot stool in front of Kara’s chair, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Kara…? Can you focus on me for a moment…?” She asked softly as she watched her junior reporter carefully.

  
  
  


Kara jerked almost violently at the sound of Cat’s voice, her pupils constricting as her fingers curled tightly around one of the candles she’d been moving. _Too loud. Too loud! TOO LOUD! Too close. Too much._ Her mind screamed at the interruption, barely registering the request. Suddenly, through the haze of overloading senses, she picked up on a soothing rhythm. _Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap._

Blue eyes snapped up and to the side, zeroing in on a set of polished nails tapping on the wooden side of the footrest in the familiar sets of three she was so fond of. Slowly, fingers uncurled from the slightly dented candle and Kara turned enough to comfortably focus on Cat’s fingers without getting a crick in her neck. After a solid five minutes, she had relaxed enough to flick her gaze up towards her boss’s, a hint of surprise flickering across her features as she was met with understanding and compassion, not the scorn she’d been expecting.

  
  
  


Cat mentally cursed as her words sent Kara into another panic, scrambling to bring the woman back before things got too bad. Sound. She needed sound to get Kara’s attention, but nothing too loud to startle her, and the number three seemed to be the key to her favorite hero’s mind. Tapping on the footrest seemed like the only way to go, and the results were instantaneous. Kara’s electric blue gaze locked onto her hand with laser like intensity, and the woman’s shoulders slowly released some of the pent up tension. Finally, she saw those beautiful eyes flick up to meet her gaze, relief coursing through her veins. “Kara, is it ok for me to talk? Or would you prefer writing or sign language?” She asked, even quieter than before in an effort not to set the woman off again. Her answer came in the form of a look of utter surprise and shaking hands.

 

_-Too much noise. Sign please.-_

 

Well. That answered that, and brought up so many more questions about her mystery of a journalist. _[Is there anyone I can call to come and help you Kara? Or anything I can do for you?]_ Cat signed to the trembling woman on her balcony, having switched the soothing tapping from her hand to the toe of her shoe against the concrete.

  
  


 

Kara went from mildly surprised to gaping in shock at her -indirect- boss’s words. Cat knew sign language? And on top of that, wanted to help? Signing a response to Cat, she relaxed a bit more when there was an immediate response, and the continuation of the tapping. The mention of someone to call made Kara’s features crumple, a quick shake of the head cementing the answer. _-No. No one.-_ She signed back sharply, her breath coming in sharp gasps as her panic spiked.

After a few minutes of staring at Cat warily, her need to end her panic attack outweighed her embarrassment at asking Cat for help, and she reluctantly signed to the woman once more. _-I need...contact.-_ She signed out hesitantly, glancing towards the couch. _-Tapping helps more with contact then against an object. Jolts the nerves, anchors me.-_

  
  


 

Cat’s heart ached for Kara when the woman told her there was no one to help her. Had she truly been dealing with this all on her own for years? Or had her usual support net crumbled for some reason? At the hesitant request for contact, her treacherous heart fluttered as she nodded, moving to the far end of the couch and patting the cushion beside her. _[You can sit as close or as far away as you need Kara.]_ Cat signed to Kara carefully before turning to stare out at the city in an effort to make Kara more comfortable about moving without scrutiny. Once Kara had settled down on the couch, she held her hand out, gently taking Kara’s shaky hand in her own and tapping her fingertips over the back of Kara’s hand in threes.

Twenty minutes later and Kara was slumped against her side, eyes closed in exhaustion and relief as the tail end of her overload slipped away. Once she was sure Kara wouldn’t be triggered, she spoke up, her fingertips idly carding through the tangled blonde locks of Kara’s ponytail. “Are you able to talk now, or would you like to just sit a while longer? I know Carter usually prefers to sit and relax in silence after an overload.” Cat said softly, guiltily enjoying having Kara cuddled up against her far too much for her own good. “You can also go home if you need to, I can cover for you.”

  
  


 

Kara flushed slightly as she sagged against her boss, all her energy drained after her panic attack. She always hated them, as hers usually coincided with a loss of control of her sensory powers, leading to a sensory overload as well as the initial panic. Cat had handled it all wonderfully, and it honestly only made her crush on the older woman all the more solidified. “I...H-home might be best.” She finally conceded, her voice subdued to barely above a whisper. “I can head out and catch a bus…” She said as she tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down with a scolding look.

  
  
  


“Really Kara. You think I’m going to let you take a bus home after the overload you just had? That’s just asking for a relapse. You either let me call someone to take you home, or you give your address to my driver and he’ll take you.” Cat said with an exasperatedly fond look, brushing a loose strand of hair behind one of Kara’s ears. “What will it be dear? Friend or driver?” She said as she quirked a brow.

  
  


 

Kara flushed a bit more and ducked her head, reluctantly settling back down onto the couch. “I...my sister...Alex…” She finally mumbled out, cringing as Cat took out her cell and looked at her expectantly. After a rather pathetic stare down, Kara caved and gave the woman her sister’s cell number. As soon as the number was given, Kara tried her hardest to tune out the upcoming conversation, knowing Alex would be furious that she hadn’t been called earlier, and worried out of her mind about Kara having had a full blown panic attack. Something she hadn’t had in years.

She heard it anyway, and learned more than she ever needed to know about her sister.

 

_“Danvers.”_

 

“Alex Danvers? This is Cat Grant, your sister’s boss.”

 

_“Kara? Wait-Why are you calling me? Is she ok?!”_

 

**_“Oi, Danvers, you ok?”_ **

 

_“Wha- Hold on a sec Sawyer, it’s about my sister.”_

 

“I’m calling to see if you’d be willing to come and pick her up. She had a complete sensory overload today and she’s currently half asleep on my balcony couch. If not, I can have my driver take her home, but I think it would be less stimulating for her to have someone familiar helping her.”

 

_“Complete...Complete sensory overload? What the hell?! She should have called me way before it got to that point! What on earth were you and that rude bastard Snapper doing to her that left her completely unable to call me?!”_

 

**_“Woah there, cool your jets ‘Lexi. Let the lady talk before you jump down her throat, maybe your sister had a good reason for not calling…?”_ **

 

“I’ll let that slide since you’re so worried Miss Danvers. While I can’t speak for Snapper, I certainly did not keep her from calling anyone. As soon as I recognised the signs of an overload I shooed her out onto my balcony away from everyone else and tried to calm her down. I asked her if there was anyone she wanted me to call right at the beginning and her answer was no.”

 

_“No…? She...she didn’t...want me there…?”_

 

**_“Alex…? Oh hey, no, don’t cry sweetheart. She gave her boss your number, right? She wants you there. Maybe she’s just a little embarrassed about needing you. Lord knows I was when I had to go to my sister once I hit a certain age.”_ **

 

“Miss Danvers...are you willing to pick her up or do I need to call my driver.”

 

_“Y-yeah, I’ll...I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”_

 

**_“I’ll give you a ride ‘Lexi. As sexy as you are on that bike of yours, I doubt you’ll be able to keep a half asleep person on the back of it.”_ **

 

_“Thanks Babe… *click*”_

  
Yeah, so apparently her sister was Gay? Or at the very least Bi, with a lover and possible girlfriend...who thought she was sexy on a bike. Eeeuughh… That was enough to make her queasy. She didn’t need those types of images in her head!  

Shaking her head weakly, she curled further into the couch and let her eyes flutter closed for a moment, barely registering Cat sitting back down next to her with a laptop. Minutes later, she was out cold, her head resting on Cat’s shoulder.

  
  


 

Alex let out a frustrated sigh as she hung up her phone, glancing up at the woman sitting next to her and rubbing small circles on her back. “What did I do Mags…? What did I do to make my sister wary of me…?” The brunette asked softly, mostly to herself as she stood, sweeping her discarded jacket up off the floor and sliding it onto her shoulders. “I...are you sure you’re ok to drive me, us, to Kara’s apartment?” She asked her...friend? No...friends didn’t have heated make outs on the couch a few days after you came out to them. Girlfriend? Again, probably not. They had _just_ started the heated make outs today. Her...her...her Maggie? Yeah, that sounded right.

Blushing slightly, she snapped out of her little daze only to find Maggie staring at her oddly, her head tilted to one side and her lips quirked upwards slightly. “Wh-what…?” Alex spluttered out, her cheeks heating up the longer Maggie stared at her.

  
  
  


Maggie chuckled and shook her head, sliding her hands into her pockets after grabbing her phone and keys. “Nothing. Yeah, I’m sure ‘Lexi. C’mon, let’s go pick up your puppy of a sister and get her home. We can even get potstickers and pizza on the way. And no, I promise you I haven’t forgotten you, we can get your triple peanut butter fudge chunk ice cream too.” The detective said as she headed towards the door of her apartment, wrapping an arm around Alex’s waist and tucking her hand into the jeans pocket furthest from her with a smirk. Now that she knew Alex was into her, she was going to milk it for all it was worth. Making her super secret agent a blushing mess was one of those lovely perks she would milk the most. And if she could do so while comforting the woman…? Bonus points.

Alex’s reaction was spot on, and so adorably worth it. The woman let out a little squeak, turned bright red, and shifted awkwardly before melting into the embrace with a breathless little sigh. God, she was addicted to Alex already and they’d only been ‘officially’ interested in eachother for a day and a half. Smiling, she locked up her apartment and led Alex down to the street towards her beaten up old Subaru Outback. “In ya go ‘Lexi. Why don’t you call in the food orders while I drive, and we’ll get them on the way to your sister’s apartment.” She murmured as she slipped into the driver’s seat of her trusty old car.

When they finally reached CatCo, Alex was once again wound up with jittery nerves, her leg bouncing wildly as she glanced up at the imposing building. With one glance towards the jittery agent, Maggie swiftly parked and turned to the brunette, pulling the woman down and into a searing kiss. “Cool your jets Danvers, your sister’s ok.” The detective said softly once she pulled away from the kiss. “Now go up there and get her, alright? I’ll be right behind you if you need help lugging her to the car.” She said with a slight smirk.

  
  
  


Alex melted into the kiss with a little whimper, still not used to just how electric kisses could be with someone you actually clicked with. Once her mind rebooted, she let out a flustered little huff before fleeing the car, stalking towards her sister’s work like she had hell nipping at her heels. She could hear Maggie chuckling behind her, and it made her cheeks burn all the more brightly. It still amazed her, and threw her for a loop, just how much better everything felt with the spunky detective. When she’d dated in the past, it had been a chore, something ‘socially necessary’ to be a normal kid in college but never something that came easily to her or felt as freeing as this. For years, she’d thought it was just the way she’d been built, and it was in a way...just not the way she’d expected.

Every touch felt like home, every smile lit sparks in her heart, and every kiss set her blood on fire. It was new, it was exciting, it was utterly terrifying, and Alex was thoroughly addicted. When they stepped into the elevator, Alex leaned into Maggie for a quick kiss and a bit of physical reassurance, letting out a weary sigh as she soaked in the warmth of her Detective. “I...thank you for coming with me Maggie.” She said softly before straightening up as the doors opened, stalking out onto the floor like she owned the place.

Heading to Cat Grant’s office, she breezed by the spluttering assistant and straight out onto the balcony, nodding in greeting to the CEO before zeroing in on her dozing sister. “Oh Kara…” She murmured as she knelt down by the couch, tucking a few stray strands of her sister’s hair behind her ear. “C’mon sleepyhead, let’s get you home. We have a date with the couch, potstickers, pizza, and cheesy rom-coms.” Alex cooed out softly as she rubbed the back of her sister’s neck lightly.

  
  
  


Cat watched as her former assistant came alive under her sister’s gentle touch, arching into the light rubbing as baby blue eyes fluttered open, lighting up at the mention of pizza and potstickers. It gave her both a sense of awe at witnessing such a pure bond, and jealous that she didn’t have such a bond with the perky little puppy of a blonde. It also made her wonder what had come between the two to the point that Kara no longer sought out her sister when she felt the beginnings of an overload. Clearing her throat, she barely managed to hide her reaction to those beautiful blue eyes locking on to her as she packed up her laptop and proofs. “Kara...you have the rest of today off, and tomorrow as well unless you specify otherwise in the morning.” She said firmly, her pale green eyes searching Kara’s gaze for that little give in her stubbornness that would let her know that Kara would comply. “Now get some rest and feel better. Chop, chop!” She said before breezing back into her office past the smaller puppy shadow the elder Danvers sister had acquired.

As Alex hauled her sister up and half carried the drowsy blonde out of her office, Cat discreetly kept an eye on the procession, her gaze guiltily wandering to Kara’s rear a few times before she forced herself to get back to work. Her little hero wouldn’t ever see her that way, she needed to stop perving out on the poor dear before she messed things up and lost her little ball of sunshine.

  
  
  


Kara rolled her head to the side as she stared at the woman who’d come with her sister, and was now driving them all to get food. If she had the energy, she probably would be interrogating her sister a mile a minute by now, but as it was, she could barely lift her head much less ambush her sister. Panic attacks always took so much energy out of her, and if it weren’t for her nap on the balcony in the sun she’d probably be comatose by now. Thankfully it seemed that her sister had ordered enough food for an army in anticipation of her exhaustion, so she might be able to ambush the woman after a few pizzas.

It turned out she only needed one pizza before she had enough energy to blindside her sister and Detective Sawyer with questions. While the two women sat awkwardly close together on the couch, occasionally bumping elbows and blushing, Kara polished off the last slice of her first pizza before verbally pouncing. “Soooo…do I need to have a shovel talk with you Detective Sawyer?” She asked, quirking her brow as she reached for her second pizza.

The result of her question was priceless. Maggie did a spit take with her soda before doubling over coughing while her sister turned about ten different shades of red, eyes bulging with surprise. She couldn’t help it, she had to keep going, it was too hilarious to stop now. “Have you been using protection?” Came her next question, along with a wheeze from Maggie and a pitiful whimper from her neon red sister. And was that red slowly creeping down her neck…? Sweet! “When did this happen? How did this happen? How long have you known you like girls? I’m too young to be an Auntie Alex! You’d better be exercising caution. And no… no copulation at work, in bar bathrooms, or my place.” She said with a grimace, her nose wrinkling at yet another mental image she didn’t need of her sister.

  
  
  


Maggie finally caught her breath, her coughing turning to full out deep belly laughs. She hadn’t known that geeky, shy little puppy Danvers had such a devious side to her, and Alex’s reaction to it was priceless! “Good god Mini Danvers, I like your spunk…!” She said between wheezy laughs, squeezing Alex’s hand reassuringly. “You can give me a shovel talk if you like, protection hasn’t been needed yet, but I’m sure it will be in the near future. This happened yesterday after work. We had a beer and movie night and your sister decided to force me to watch horror movies...I ended up in her lap, much to her joy. I’ll let ‘Lexi tell you that when she’s comfortable with it. No promises on the sex locations though. Agent Danvers’ desk looks reeaaally inviting.” Maggie teased back, watching Kara turn just as many shades of red as her sister as the teasing was turned on her. Some days it was hard to tell that the younger sister was adopted with how similar the two women were.

Turning to her (hopefully) soon to be girlfriend, she bit her lip and tried to hold back a chuckle. “Alex, don’t pass out on me honey. This is a good sign, right? Mini Danvers isn’t comatose on the couch anymore. She’s getting better if she has the energy to tease you until you turn that brilliant shade of crimson.” Maggie teased lightly as she gripped Alex’s hand a bit harder.

  
  


 

Alex sank into Maggie’s side as she tried to recover from her embarrassment, clinging to the woman’s hand like a lifeline. “So...y-you’re fine with me...liking girls?” She finally asked, a light blush still on her cheeks as she looked to her sister for reassurance that the blonde would stay by her side.

  
  


 

Kara grinned and nodded, her shoulders relaxing a bit more. “Of course Alex! Back o- wh-when I was with my birth family, things were always really fluid. We didn’t care who you loved as long as you loved them. Although...it does make it easier to admit I’m not exactly straight either. I think the term you’d use is...Pan…?” She said, narrowly missing slipping up and saying ‘on Krypton’. The last thing she needed was to slip up and out herself as Supergirl to her sister’s new girlfriend, a day into their relationship.

  
  


 

Alex blinked and slumped, rubbing her forehead. “That...would have made things so much simpler for me. I...only recently figured out I liked girls. Maggie actually clued me into it. She read my mixed signals properly before I even realized how mixed they were and called me out on it. I panicked and floundered a bit, and then started thinking it all over and realized she was right. That was a few weeks ago, and I’ve been agonizing over how to tell you since.” She said sheepishly. “Still not sure how to tell Mom though.” She said with a grimace.

  
  


 

Kara bit her lip, the last bit of tension slipping out of her body at her sister’s words. “So that’s why you went all broody and started pulling away…” She murmured as she fiddled with the fourth pizza box. “Please don’t do that again…? Promise me you’ll just talk to me? I didn’t...I didn’t call earlier because I was afraid you’d still be all distant with me.” She admitted as she slowly tore bits of cardboard off the half empty box in her lap. “As for Eliza...maybe if I go first it’ll soften the blow? Test the waters about her acceptance?” Kara offered with a shy smile.

  


 

 

Alex’s heart lurched at her sister’s quiet admission, quickly moving to scoop the young Kryptonian up into a tight hug, burying her nose in a mess of blonde curls. “Oh Kara...I’m so sorry I made you think I wasn’t a safe place for you. Never again. I promise I’ll talk to you if something is wrong.” She said as she squeezed the blonde as hard as she could. “As for coming out to Mom...only do it if you’re ready for it Kara, don’t let my wariness make a decision for you.” She said before settling back down next to Maggie, her heart doing flips in her chest as the woman curled into her side, mirroring Kara who’d moved to press up against Alex’s left side.

This was something she could get used to, this warmth and happiness that she felt when she had her sister and Maggie curled up against her. Things finally felt...right. Smiling softly, she turned on the TV and settled down to have a nice afternoon of cuddling the two most important people in her life.

  
  


 

Later that night after Alex and Maggie had left, Kara restlessly glanced out her bay window, her mind in turmoil. She wanted to thank Cat, to do something nice for her, or at least express her gratitude for the help she’d given earlier that day. That, and she desperately needed to see the woman again. Biting her lip, she made up her mind and slipped into her suit, bringing a change of clothes with her as she darted out the window towards Cat’s penthouse. Landing in the alley beside the apartment complex, she changed and headed towards the front door, her heart pounding wildly as she zeroed in on Cat’s heartbeat...and Carter’s. Before she could talk herself out of her bold move, she headed up to the penthouse floor and rang the doorbell, nervously adjusting her glasses and fiddling with the hem of her cardigan as she waited.

  
  
  


Cat’s brow furrowed as she heard the doorbell, getting up from her couch and idly fluffing Carter’s hair as she walked past him to the door. Tuning out Carter’s disgruntled growl at her distracting him from his video game, she glanced through the peephole and went wide eyed at the sight of a very nervous Kara on the other side of her door. Unlocking and pulling the door open, she pursed her lips and took in the woman’s appearance. Nervous, but thankfully not in as bad a shape as she had been that morning. “Kara, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to go home and rest.” She said before reluctantly stepping to the side to let the fidgeting woman in.

“I...uhm...M-miss Grant...I wanted to thank you for earlier.” Was the flustered, shy response she got, her heart melting as her features softened into a gentle smile. “I...I haven’t had a full overload like that in years, and my sister -who usually helps me- was dealing with something huge and being distant lately so I hesitated to call her and made things worse.”

Cat nodded, relieved that Kara’s safety net wasn’t gone, just in need of a bit of patching up. “Yes, well, you can come to me at any time during work hours if you need help or a quiet space where no one will have the guts to barge in on you.” She said as she closed the door, clearing her throat awkwardly. “W-would you like something to drink?”

  
  


 

While they were talking, Carter’s head popped up from in front of the couch, his eyes widening at the mention of overloads. When there was a lull in the conversation, he paused his game and shyly headed into the kitchen after his mother and Kara, lightly tugging on the young blonde’s sleeve. “You get sensory overloads too…?” He asked quietly, looking up at his mom’s former assistant wide eyed. “I used to get them all the time until Mom figured out what was going on and worked to help me prevent them. I still have bad days, but it’s not as bad as it used to be now that she knows how to help.”

  
  
  


Kara melted at Carter’s shy admittance, a small smile crossing her lips as she nodded to the boy. It made so much more sense now, about how Cat had managed to help so easily. _-Yeah buddy, I get overloaded sometimes, especially when there is a lot of stress.-_ She signed to Carter, watching the boy light up at the use of sign language and beam at her as he signed back.

 

_{Things get too noisy for you too?! What about touch? Or sight? I usually have to sit somewhere dark, and too much touch sets me off. A little bit of contact is ok though, just enough to ground me, but not engulf me.}_

 

Kara grinned, her gaze dancing with joy as she as Carter opened up to her. She finally had someone that understood her, from her point of view. _-I have to be out in the open. If the space I’m in is too small I freak out pretty badly. Darkness as well, but touch is about the same for me. Enough to let me know someone is there, but not so much that it’s all I can feel.-_

  
  


 

Cat watched her son and Kara bond over their experiences, butterflies going wild in her belly as she sipped at her recently poured glass of wine. She refused to admit it out loud, but it wasn’t just a slight crush...she was head over heels for the beautiful blonde woman. The mention of darkness and small spaces worsening Kara’s panic attacks gave Cat pause for a moment before it hit her. Supergirl’s flight to earth. (And yes, that strange double never quite fooled her, especially after that martian was outed, and certainly not after Myriad when Kara’s mother and sister showed up to support _Supergirl.)_ The time spent in a tiny little escape pod, shooting across the dark expanse of space towards earth had clearly took its toll on the bubbly alien.

Chuckling softly, she put her glass down and leaned forward over the counter. “Alright Carter, say goodnight to Kara, it’s just about your bedtime. Go on, shoo, go get ready for bed and then you can hug us both before you go to sleep.” She said fondly, watching her son pout before darting off to shut down his game and get ready for bed.

Once Carter was out of the room, she leveled a serious look at Kara and crossed her arms. “And we need to have a serious talk as soon as he’s out.” She said, watching as Kara began to fidget and squirm. “It’s nothing bad Kara, and I swear to you you’ll still have your job when we’re done.” She said before falling silent as Carter barreled back into the room to hug her and Kara goodnight. Once he disappeared once more, she motioned to her living room balcony. “Come, let’s get a bit of privacy for this talk.” She said as she stalked out onto the balcony, settling down on the cozy couch out there as she wrapped a blanket around herself. “Sit Kara.”

Once the trembling woman was settled down beside her, she placed a comforting hand on Kara’s shaking one, squeezing lightly. “I meant what I said Kara. I’m not going to fire you, and I promise what ever is said on this balcony won’t leave it without your permission. This has to do with your overloads, and how I can help.” She said as she focused on Kara’s body language, hoping she wouldn’t push the woman into another panic. “I know. I know you’re Supergirl, despite that little doppelganger stunt you pulled, and -No, don’t protest, just listen, please Kara.- and I need you to be honest about it with me so I can help you. I won’t out you to anyone, this is purely so I can better help you. Besides Kara, it’s a bit obvious when your foster mother and sister come out to support _Supergirl_ during the apocalypse.” She said, finishing with a wry chuckle.

“Now, for the reason why I need you to be completely honest with me...you have superpowers Kara, superpowers that will play into your panic attacks and overloads, and I need to know how I can help with that, and what I can do to keep you safe and comfortable while keeping your identity secret.” She said, watching the slow recognition filter into Kara’s expression after the shock and protest drained away.

“I’m guessing your reaction earlier, and need for sign language, was due to your super hearing?” She asked as she turned slightly to face Kara fully. “And I suppose you have over sensitivity to touch when not in control of your powers, considering you told Carter you can’t stand too much contact.”

  
  
  


Kara’s mouth went dry as soon as Cat spoke up about her being Supergirl, her mouth dropping open to protest before Cat held her hand up to keep her silent. The more she listened, the less she tried to protest, understanding slowly filtering into her gaze. “I...y-yes, the s-super hearing is why I use sign language. I don’t have sensitivity to touch, it’s...more just being trapped and surrounded that gets me when it comes to contact.” She finally murmured, her shoulders slumping. “After being stuck in my pod in the phantom zone for twenty four years, anything too constricting, enclosed, or dark makes my anxiety shoot through the roof while panicking.” She revealed as she wrapped her arms around her middle, shooting Cat a shy, frightened glance.

“I need to be in a large space, preferably outside, with minimal contact with a person I consider ‘safe’.” She said as she licked her lips. “I also...have something I picked up from my foster father Jeremiah. He used to always tell me that when I was feeling overwhelmed, to search out the heartbeats of him, Eliza, and Alex, and let them ground me. Three...kind of became my number after that. It’s easiest to have three ‘safe’ heartbeats to listen too but...lately those ‘safe’ people haven’t been so safe, or close enough for me to hear without really focusing, which I can’t while panicked. When I don’t have the heartbeats it’s...well, three of anything. Three just became safe to me, so surrounding myself with it helped to keep the panic at bay.”

  
  
  


Cat nodded, chuckling slightly at the mention of the number three. “I noticed that when I came out to find all my candles and shells in little triangles.” She said with a slight smirk before settling back into a more serious expression. “My balcony is open to you at any time of the day Kara. Both this one and the CatCo one. Whether you need it as Kara Danvers or Supergirl, it’s your safe space. I’ll make sure to stock both with as many groups of three that I can.” She assured her trembling junior reporter, reaching out to squeeze the woman’s arm once more as she mistook the trembling for fear or hurt. “Is there anything else you need from me…? I promise you I’ll do my best to get it all for you. I don’t want to see you breaking down alone like that anymore. You mean quite a lot to me Kara.” She said, feeling a rush of nervousness as she admitted to the younger woman, at least partially, how much the young Kryptonian meant to her.

  
  
  


Kara swallowed hard, her emotions swirling out of control the longer Cat spoke. This was no longer a simple crush for her, or...perhaps it never was and she just didn’t realize the depth of what she felt. At the words ‘You mean a lot to me, Kara’, she broke, letting out a little whimper as she teared up. Lunging at Cat, she wrapped her arms around the woman tightly, curling her head up under Cat’s chin as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. “Th-thank you Cat...for caring. You have no i-idea how much it means to me...how much _you_ mean to me.” She mumbled out against Cat’s collarbone, her eyes widening slightly as she heard the slight hitch in the woman’s breath and the speeding up of her heartbeat. Feeling a bit bold after hearing the hitch, she turned her head slightly, letting her lips brush along silky smooth skin ‘accidentally’. She was rewarded with another hitch in Cat’s breath, a slight tremble, and fingertips digging into her back. Did Cat feel the same way as her…? Did she dare to hope it?

Pulling back a bit, she licked her lips as she locked eyes with Cat, her own heart fluttering at the sight of blown pupils and a gaze flicking down towards her lips every few minutes. “Cat…” She finally breathed out as her gaze darted down to the woman’s rosy lips, one hand moving to brush fingertips over a high arched cheekbone. When Cat’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch as she tilted her head into it, Kara’s heart soared. “Please tell me I’m not misreading this…” She murmured as she leaned in, her nose lightly brushing Cat’s as the woman’s gaze snapped up to her own once more, searching for something for a long few moments before softening.

  
  
  


“You aren’t…” Cat rasped out, her voice dropping an octave as she hesitantly released Kara’s curls from their tie, sinking her fingers into the lush hair and lightly scraping her nails over Kara’s scalp. “There are so many reasons why this shouldn’t be happening but...you aren’t misreading anything Kara.” She said as she leaned in a bit further, her eyes fluttering closed as her lips brushed up against Kara’s. After a few heart stopping moments, Kara lunged forwards and sealed the kiss, hands curling around Cat’s neck to cradle her head as Cat lost herself in the rush of pleasure.

Shifting, Cat drew on a bit of her own courage before throwing a leg over Kara, settling in the young woman’s lap as she happily got lost in the sensation of kissing Kara. Fingers laced in the Kryptonian’s curls, she gripped and tugged lightly, pulling a soft moan from Kara’s throat as she forcibly tilted the woman’s head back to gain a better angle to kiss her former assistant senseless. Slightly chapped lips slid against inhumanly soft ones in an intimate dance, Kara’s hands sliding up to grip Cat’s hips as they both relished the gentle affection they were receiving from one another.

Finally, Cat broke away from the kiss, panting softly as she stared down at the young, disheveled woman beneath her. Golden curls strewn about the back of the couch, fluffed up from Cat’s hands carding through -and tugging on- them, beautiful blue eyes blown wide with pleasure and a hint of affection, and kiss swollen lips parted. “Beautiful.” She murmured as she gently ran her fingertips over Kara’s cheek, her lips quirking into a slight smile as a tinge of red followed the path of her fingertips. “You, my little hero, are so very beautiful....and if I have any say about it, so very _mine._ ” She rumbled out as she slid her hands back into Kara’s hair and tugged hard, eliciting another, louder moan and a shudder.

  
  


 

Kara felt her heart flip and flutter at the first brush of Cat’s lips against her own, her mind blanking out for a moment before she darted forward and deepened the kiss, cradling Cat’s head in her hands. When Cat straddled her lap, she nearly short circuited yet again,her pulse pounding as she tightly gripped the woman’s hips, her thumbs rubbing light circles on the sliver of exposed skin between Cat’s yoga pants and loose top. The tug on her hair came as a surprise, a soft moan escaping her lips as she melted, letting Cat take control of her completely and arch her head back.

When the kiss finally ended, she rested her head against the back of the couch and stared up at Cat in awe, her cheeks flushing as she heard the woman murmur that she was beautiful. Then Cat declared that Kara was hers, accentuating the claim with a harsh tug and Kara came undone under the older woman with a loud moan, her body shuddering with pleasure and back arching away from the couch as her eyes rolled back, her head lolling to one side. After a few moments, it caught up to her what had just happened and her cheeks flushed a deep red, her gaze darting up to Cat’s as a mixture of horror and embarrassment shot through her.

  
  
  


Cat watched in utter amazement as Kara trembled and arched beneath her, the idea that her words and a sharp tug were enough to bring Kara to an, albeit small, peak leaving her breathless. Lightly carding her fingers through Kara’s hair, she waited for the young woman to regain her bearings. The sight of horror and embarrassment filtering across Kara’s features made her heart clench with the need to comfort the blonde, and she quickly did so, pressing a multitude of gentle kisses over Kara’s cheeks, forehead, nose, and lips. “That was absolutely stunning Kara, don’t be ashamed if it. It honestly flatters me that the thought of me claiming you affects you so much.” She purred out as she leaned closer to her little hero, capturing the young blonde in a searing kiss. “Now, my darling hero, you’re going to kiss me senseless on into the early hours of the morning.” She said with a wicked grin before dipping down for another kiss as she pulled her discarded blanket back over herself and Kara to keep warm while they thoroughly got lost in each other.

 

 

  
  
It was a good few hours later when Kara finally flew away from Cat’s penthouse, after tucking a slumbering Cat into her bed of course, and leaving a note on the bedside table about her enjoyment of the evening and a promise to text tomorrow. Floating back into her own apartment, she carefully closed the window and headed to her bedroom, stripping out of her suit and flopping down onto her bed with a dreamy sigh after haphazardly throwing on a baggy tee. As she slipped under the covers and curled up, her eyes slowly sliding shut, she couldn’t help but think… She had the _best_ end to a very bad day.


	2. Marching to a New Beat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy felt terrible. Ever since she inadvertently became friends with Kara during her time working at CatCo, while simultaneously bursting in on the scene at the DEO, her life had begun to fall apart at the seams. Between shouldering her father’s hatred of anything alien, and trying -and failing miserably- to hate the woman stealing away her boyfriend (Without even trying!), she’d somehow, against all odds, found herself crushing hard on both unassuming little Kara Danvers and larger than life superpuppy Supergirl. Now, that in itself wasn’t too bad, except, y’know, the fact that she was so far in the closet she could see Narnia, and up until very recently very happy to stay in her solitude where her father couldn’t find yet another reason to hate her. Now however, with her father basically AWOL and already having written her off as another waste of space alien lover, her dark little slice of denial and solitude was looking less and less appealing to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter, but hey, still a good one! (I hope) Sorry about the slight delay, I kept getting side tracked by tumblr prompts.

Lucy felt terrible. Ever since she inadvertently became friends with Kara during her time working at CatCo, while simultaneously bursting in on the scene at the DEO, her life had begun to fall apart at the seams. Between shouldering her father’s hatred of anything alien, and trying -and failing miserably- to hate the woman stealing away her boyfriend (Without even trying!), she’d somehow, against all odds, found herself crushing hard on both unassuming little Kara Danvers and larger than life superpuppy Supergirl. Now, that in itself wasn’t  _ too  _ bad, except, y’know, the fact that she was so far in the closet she could see Narnia, and up until very recently very happy to stay in her solitude where her father couldn’t find yet another reason to hate her. Now however, with her father basically AWOL and already having written her off as another waste of space alien lover, her dark little slice of denial and solitude was looking less and less appealing to her.

To top it all off, right as things were coming to a crux at the DEO, Kara shattered any hope she had of keeping things in her normal, cookie cutter sections of life. Kara and Supergirl were one and the same...and she just sent the poor girl’s sister to Cadmus. Cue one hastily planned, midnight rescue with Kara followed by the most thrillingly awkward airlift back to base so they could pretend they had nothing to do with the sudden disappearance of Alex and J’onn. 

She thought that  _ maybe  _ she’d get a bit of a break then to shove everything back into their proper little boxes in her mind, but no. Suddenly she was the director of the DEO and the freakin Myriad was happening. Not only was Myriad happening, but she was fully aware the entire time and wondering if it was the end for her, if she’d never get to see her stupid sister again, or finally admit to herself that maybe she wasn’t so straight after all, or have a first kiss with a beautiful woman instead of just secretly pining away and focusing on men, or...or see Kara again. 

And right as Kara had gone through her mind like a prayer, her silly little alien puppy had filled her vision, plastered across every screen in the DEO and  _ begging  _ for the people of National city to just  _ hope.  _ And hope she did. Heart skipping like a giddy schoolgirl, Lucy had hoped with everything she had, and then she’d felt whatever had control of her body fall away. Once that happened, there was no turning back. No putting her feelings for the bubbly blonde back into a neat little box in her mind and locking it away. She was well and truly head over heels for one Kara Danvers. Still, there just  _ had  _ to be another blow to her carefully constructed lies. Myriad was still on, and focusing on killing instead of mind control, and Kara...sweet Kara was off yet again to save the day. 

Heart in her throat -and jackhammer in her skull-, she’d watched as Kara beat down Non and proceeded to fly goddamn Fort Rozz into  _ space!  _ Space, where she couldn’t breath, where she couldn’t fly, where she was going to die if someone didn’t do something, and Lucy froze up like a baby-faced recruit. Thank god for Alex Danvers though. Where Lucy froze in heart wrenching terror, Alex thrived in it and managed to commandeer Kara’s space pod, fly it, and nudge Kara back down towards earth before catching her in a daring, if ridiculously stupid stunt that earned her first degree burns all up one arm and over her cheek when she cracked the pod open mid flight to pull the then comatose alien into the cockpit before she crash landed. 

Once Kara was up and tottering about weakly, Lucy had all but fled, needing to come to terms with all the life altering realizations she’d been faced with. The DEO was put back in J’onn’s hands with Alex helping out, and while her friends all celebrated the end of the Myriad Horror, she silently packed up and drove away from the city that had quickly become more of a home to her then any of the houses she’d had growing up.

She’d found herself on Louis’s doorstep the next morning, a string of half assed excuses on the tip of her tongue as she stared up at her sister, eyes wide, watery, and looking so very lost. It had been almost surreal to watch her older sister falter mid-snark, truly take in her appearance, and silently step to the side to let her in. Apparently she looked just as bad as she’d felt.

Three cups of peppermint tea later, and Lucy was finally calmed down enough not to huddle on her sister’s couch like a rescue puppy. That was when she finally spilled the mess her life had become to her sister. She told her of how their father had followed her when she’d moved to National City, how he’d come under the guise of having a nice sit down with her and James to discuss his intentions with her, and then pretty much used his being there to pressure her into donning her uniform again and backing him up on his quest to bring down the DEO and Supergirl. She spilled out how at first, she’d gone with it because she’d watched James start pulling away from her like he had with Superman, but this time the Super was a girl and there was the fear that James would rather have the alien puppy then her. She clutched her mug tightly as she spoke of how mean she’d been to the DEO agents and Supergirl, how raw and hurt she’d been inside and how she’d taken it out on them instead. She let a sad little smile cross her lips as she spoke of her short job stint at CatCo, and the little ball of sunshine that followed her around like a puppy and brightened her miserably dark world into something more bearable. She talked of the game nights, and slowly watching as James fell for Kara. Of how Kara had been so kind and naive, trying her hardest to help her and James stay together despite her own growing crush on the man.

Then the tone changed bitter once more, knuckles whitening as she weaved a harrowing tale of drowning under her father’s heavy hand and sentencing innocents to a place worse than hell. Of finding out that Kara and Supergirl were one and the same and realizing that she’d just sent Kara’s sister to that horrid place. Of finally shrugging free of Sam Lane’s control and doing something directly against him and the nearly sickening thrill of adrenaline that had shot through her at the thought of defying him. She took a shuddering breath before diving into the subject of her time as the director of the DEO, of Myriad, and wondering if she’d ever be able to see her sister again. At that point there had been a tearful break with much sobby clinging -not that either sister would ever admit it to anyone, even under threat of torture- and a refill of tea before Lucy slowly opened up about the second wave of Myriad and watching Kara fly to her death with a sad smile and the hope of seeing her family again. And once it was all out, she bit her lip and looked up at her sister with a pitiful little smile and half sobbed out. “And t-to top it all off, I’m Bi and in love with the woman who stole my fiance…!” 

If Lucy hadn’t been in such a sorry state herself, her sister’s expression would have been priceless. The spit take and bulging eyes was a classic she hadn’t been able to drag out of her sister in ages. As it were, she just cringed and sank back into the couch to wait for her sister to formulate enough words to express how she felt about Lucy being Bi.

“Well it’s about damn time you admitted it!” Was not the response she’d been expecting. Not by a long shot. Caught off guard mid sip, she slammed her mug down onto the coffee table and began to cough, clutching the front of her sweater feebly. “Wh...wha...what?” She managed to rasp out as she stared at her sister like the woman had grown a second head.

  
  
  
  


“Lucy...it was painfully obvious you swung both ways growing up. You may have hid it well whenever dad was around, but you followed Katie Reiver around like a puppy for months, and then spent the next two months sulking in your room when we had to move.” Lois said with a smirk before settling down on the couch next to her younger sister. “You may have followed father a lot more closely, but I always knew you were more of a black sheep then I was. I mean, what about Beth and Casey? You clung to those two like you clung to Katie, and they were already a couple. You have some different tastes, but that’s alright, it was always alright in my book. I wouldn’t have covered for you when you got close to accidentally showing your Bi colors if I hadn’t been ok with it.” She said as she smiled, hesitantly reaching out to tuck a few strands of hair behind her sister’s ear. “I know we haven’t always gotten along, most of that being father’s fault, but despite it all we’re sisters. We stick together when the going gets tough.”

Once Lois was sure her sister wasn’t freaking out anymore, she stood and took their mugs back to her kitchen, placing them in the sink with care. “Now...how long are you thinking of staying Luce? You can’t stay for too long or your friends will start to worry, especially your little alien puppy.” Lois teased lightly, grinning as she watched her sister’s cheeks light up.

  
  
  
  


Lucy bit her lip and glanced at her sister for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. “A few weeks, at least. I need...I need to sort out the mess my life has become. Sort out the feelings with James and my leaving him, my feelings toward Kara, my feelings towards being out of the closet, all the shit that father piled up on me…” She trailed off, curling her knees to her chest. “I need to be the best version of me before I can even hope to be anything for Kara and the others.” She finally admitted, grimacing slightly. “Would...would it be ok if I crashed here? Or should I look for a place to rent for a bit?” She asked hesitantly as she glanced up at her sister, heart in her throat. When her sister rolled her eyes and pointed to her spare room, she nearly melted into the couch in relief. “Thank you…”

Nearly a month later and Lucy was both better and worse off than she’d been when she’d fled to Metropolis. On one hand, she’d fully come to terms with who she was as a woman, both personally and sexually, mended her relationship with her sister, and applied for her job back at CatCo. On the other however, she’d disappeared from her friends’ lives without any warning and hadn’t kept in touch while trying to rediscover herself. The texts from her friends quieted after a week, seemingly giving up on her. All except for Kara, whose heart wrenching texts kept coming day after day. 

At first they had been frantic, wondering where she was, asking if she was alright...then they’d gone to pleading. Begging her to answer, pleading for an answer as to why she’d left, pleading with her to come back. Finally they’d slipped into acceptance, but they’d never stopped. She’d get a text a day, sometimes a few, wishing her a good day, telling her something funny about her day, and the occasional ‘I miss you’ that never failed to make Lucy whimper. 

It was time to start making it up to her friends for her absence, especially Kara, so when her daily text from the woman came in, she took a shaky breath and opened up a reply box.

 

_ -Morning Lucy! I hope you have an awesome day.- _

**_~It’ll be better once I’m back in National City.~_ **

 

The little wave of bubbles appeared on the screen a few times before a reply finally came through, though not before Lucy’s nerves were shot to hell.

 

_ -Lucy!!! Oh my Rao you answered!!- _

_ -Are you alright?- _

_ -Where have you been?- _

_ -Wait, you’re coming back?!- _

_ -When? Do you still have your apartment?- _

_ -Oh goodness I need to tell the others!- _

**_~Woah there Kara, slow down. I’m fine, I’ve been in Metropolis with my sister. I needed to sort some things out after the whole Myriad thing.~_ **

**_~I should be back this afternoon if I can get on the road soon. Yes, I still have my apartment, and...could you hold off on telling the others? I want to get settled in first before I contact them. I...have a lot of making up to do with you all.~_ **

_ -Oh...I...I should have realised that Myriad would have messed with you a bit, with the whole impending head explosion thing and all. Did you manage to patch things up with Lois?- _

 

Lucy smiled shyly as she stared down at her phone, her heart fluttering lightly. Oh yeah, that completely smitten feeling was still there and going strong.

 

**_~Yeah, I managed to fix things with Lois and she let me crash at her place while I sorted everything else out.~_ **

**_~Hey...will you be free today for a late lunch? Maybe I can start all of my making things up by buying potstickers?~_ **

_ -!!!!- _

_ -Really?~ You’d get me potstickers?- _

_ -Yes! I will totally be free for lunch. Just text me when you get here?- _

**_~Will do Kara. And...thank you for not giving up on me. I know I never replied but...your texts really helped.~_ **

 

Setting down her phone, Lucy let out a shaky chuckle and finished off her breakfast, giving her sister one last hug after putting her dishes in the sink. “Thank you again Lois, for everything. I was a hot mess when I got here and I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She murmured as she sank into her sister’s embrace, relishing in the familial love she’d been missing for years. “I’d better get going if I’m going to make it back by this afternoon.” She said as she finally pulled away, slipping her phone into her pocket and gathering up her suitcases. 

Four hours later and Lucy was finally graced with the first signs of National City, her heart skipping a beat as she watched the skyscrapers rise from the horizon in the midday sun. As the buildings grew taller and the suburbs surrounded her, a profound sense of  _ home  _ welled up inside her, a giddy smile spreading across her lips as she navigated through the familiar streets towards her apartment, parking in her old spot. “I’m home…” She breathed out as she stepped out onto the pavement, grabbing her suitcases from the back of her car and locking up as she gazed out over the familiar view. “Look out National City, Lucy Lane’s back and ready to take this place by storm.” She said, lips quirking up in a little smirk as she picked up her baggage and headed up to her apartment to store them.

  
  
  
  


Kara had been on edge all day. After the text from Lucy, whom she’d never stopped looking for within the city limits, she’d been nearly vibrating with excitement. She’d missed the quirky lawyer something fierce for the month she’d gone off the radar, and to get a text that she was coming home…? It was like her first christmas morning all over again; bouncy wide eyed wonder and excitement, the patience of a hyper puppy, and the longing for the day to just HURRY UP ALREADY. 

It was a half conscious decision to keep her superhearing turned on throughout the day, constantly scanning for the first faint sign of Lucy’s heartbeat, but when she heard that first faint thump she knew it was more than worth it. A calmness she hadn’t felt so strongly since the day Cat had taken care of her washed over her as a bright Sunny Danvers smile spread across her features. Settling down at her desk to finish an article draft, she kept one ear focused on Lucy, letting the woman’s heartbeat play for her like a favorite song to work to. It was because of this that she heard Lucy’s declaration of being home, as well as the warning to National City, a soft giggle escaping her lips as she worked. “I doubt they’d be ready for you even with the warning Luce.” She murmured as she typed.

An hour later, she got the text she’d been anxiously waiting for all morning.

 

**_~You free Kara? I’m downstairs, and there are an abundance of potstickers in the back of my car and a spot with our name on it at the park nearby.~_ **

 

Grinning, Kara quickly snatched up her purse and made a beeline for the door, locking her office and letting Snapper know she was going to lunch as she dashed for the elevator. She nearly gave up and tried to just fly down to Lucy, but the stuttery little intern in the elevator with her foiled that half assed plan, so she shuffled about impatiently until the doors opened on the ground floor. As soon as they were open enough for her to race out, that’s exactly what she did, running full (human) tilt for the guest parking lot where Lucy’s heartbeat was pounding strongly. 

“Lucy!!!~” She cried out as she beamed, launching herself at the grinning woman with the force of a linebacker. Slamming into the smaller woman, she wrapped her arms around her dear friend and spun on her heel, dragging the now squealing Major in quick circle before setting her down. “I’m so glad you’re ok! Don’t you  _ ever  _ leave like that again without telling me! I’ll understand if you need space, or complete radio silence, just  _ let me know _ if you’re leaving. Ok…?” She rambled out, her blue eyes wide and pleading.

  
  
  
  


Lucy grinned as she heard Kara’s voice, turning to face the woman only to get tackled, lifted up, and swung around in what her mind registered as a decidedly romantic action. It didn’t help that she let out a little squeal as her feet left the ground. Once she was safely back on asphalt, she chuckled and smiled at her bubbly friend. The near frantic rambling that greeted her though nearly broke her heart. “Hey, hey. It’s ok Kara, I’m sorry. I should have let you all know, and I promise I will in the future, ok?” She said softly as she rubbed Kara’s arms lightly. “I’m so sorry I worried you so much.” She murmured before offering the pouting superpuppy a lopsided grin. “Now come on, let’s get to the park and have those potstickers before your boss needs you back.” 

A quick drive later and Lucy was happily curled up on a blanket with her back against the large tree Kara had insisted they eat under, watching Kara inhale potstickers like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. This was what she’d been missing. These little moments, little  _ normal  _ moments, that balanced out the chaos that usually was her life. “I missed this…” She let slip as she relaxed in the sun, idly nibbling on a few potstickers that had been  _ graciously  _ set aside for her. 

“Miff wha…?”

Lucy snorted, pressing her lips together tightly in a futile effort not to laugh. “Well, certainly not watching you talk with your mouth full.” She teased, laughing despite her best efforts as she saw Kara looking up at her like a confused little chipmunk. “Just...this.” She said, gesturing vaguely to them, the picnic, and the general vicinity. “Normal, relaxing moments with friends, fresh air, good food and company…” She trailed off, looking down at her lap as she fidgeted. “So much happened all at once when I joined the DEO and all of  _ this  _ just fell to the wayside.”

  
  
  
  


Kara sat up as Lucy’s tone turned serious, swallowing the potstickers she’d been chewing and turning to face her friend. “Do you...do you want to talk about it? Myriad I mean. I, i-it’s ok if you don’t want to, I understand that completely, I just, y-you seem like you could use s-someone to talk to that...went through it all as well.” She rambled out, nervously adjusting her glasses a few times as she hunched in on herself slightly. Why oh why was it always so much harder to be confident when she wasn’t her alter ego…? “I...I know what you mean though, a-about missing all of this. Everything has gone to hell in a hand basket since Myriad. All the aliens on Fort Rozz that laid low while Non was roaming about took his death as the go-ahead to break out and wreak havoc  _ everywhere.  _ Between that, Winn signing on to work at the DEO, and James...having an ego crisis, there really haven’t been game nights since the celebration of ending Myriad. And even that got interrupted by a Rao be damned Daximite crash landing a kryptonian escape pod outside the city.” She said, grumbling out the last bit. “So yeah...I’ve missed this too.” She said as she pushed her glasses back up her nose and awkwardly beamed at Lucy.

  
  
  
  


Lucy slowly relaxed, smiling at Kara once more. “That...That would be great Kara, if you’re up for it. I mean, we probably can’t talk much today before your lunch break is over, but we can talk a little now, and then maybe something more in depth this weekend?” She offered as she stole one of Kara’s potstickers with a grin, popping it in her mouth before the blonde could protest.

When Kara, after thoroughly guilting Lucy into giving up one of  _ her  _ potstickers, nodded in agreement, Lucy took a deep breath and leaned back against the tree, glancing up at the sun bespeckled canopy. “I think the turning point for me, that pushed me over the edge and into fleeing, was the second phase of Myriad. Sitting in that control room with that splitting headache and watching you duel it out with Non, all the while wondering if I’d ever make it out of that damn batcave wannabe. I, as cliche as it sounds, had the whole life flashing before my eyes experience and I found I had a lot of regrets. I let my father rule my life, all so I could glean just a tiny bit of affection from him. I let him tell me who it was acceptable to like, to love, to date...I let him try and mold me into a disgusting little mini-me.” She began, lightly picking at the hem of her shirt. 

“So...as soon as we were free and the DEO was back in Hank’s hands, I fled the city and went to see my sister in the hopes that I could patch things up with her while figuring myself out without my father’s influence. I came to a lot of realizations while I was there, got a few tattoos, had a few wild nights, and figured out who I wanted to be from now on. You’re looking at the new and improved Lucy.” She said with a little mock bow. “Twice the available dating pool, 100% less prejudice until  _ actually  _ proven guilty, a refreshingly strong bond with my sister, aaaand...my old job back at CatCo.” She said with a nervous grin, wondering if Kara would pick up on the subtle hint that she wasn’t strictly into men.

  
  
  
  


Kara’s brow crinkled in confusion as she listened to the list of ‘perks’ that came with the new Lucy, her head tilting to one side. “Twice the…? Oh! You mean aliens? My sister’s g-er-friend has dated aliens in the past, but...I don’t think that would strictly double the dating pool, there aren’t that many compatible aliens compared to men.” She said with a confused little slow blink as she tried to do the population math in her head. A moment later, the last bit of Lucy’s sentence registered. “Wait, you’re back on as a CatCo Lawyer?!?! OhmyRao that’s amazing! I get to see you more often then!” She squealed out, math all but forgotten with the news of Lucy’s return to CatCo.

  
  
  
  


Lucy cradled her forehead in her hand for a moment, shaking her head lightly as she re-realized just how naive Kara could be. “No-Kara, not aliens. Girls. Girls, Kara. I’m Bi. I just never openly expressed it because my father hated anything that wasn’t cookie cutter, bible thumping, army style life.” She said with a wry chuckle as she saw the realization slowly filter across Kara’s features.

  
  
  
  


“Oh!” Kara squeaked out at the admission, her cheeks heating up as she fumbled to adjust her glasses once more. “Oh, that’s...that uh. That makes more sense. Statistically.” She said awkwardly, her heart skipping a few beats. Holy crap! First her sister has a girlfriend, then Cat Grant kisses her senseless, and now Lucy, the super hot ex of her ex who she sorta had a crush on for a while  _ wasn’t as out of her league as she first thought?!  _

“I, uh...wow. I-I’m sorry, I’m not, it’s not you, or the confession. I’m  _ really  _ proud of you on that front!” She stuttered out, her cheeks turning a bit darker of a red. “I’m just, processing. It’s...you’re not the only one coming out of the closet, and my mind just kinda shorted out for a moment. I’ll be good in a sec.” She said as she chuckled sheepishly, flopping down onto the blanket on her back as she tried to reboot. 

Once she was back up and running, she sat up and launched herself at Lucy, bringing the woman into another hug. “I mean it Luce. I’m proud of you. It may not have been hard on Krypton to like who you liked, but I know it’s hard here on Earth, and that it takes a lot of bravery to be open about who you are.” She murmured as she squeezed Lucy a bit tighter before pulling away. Beaming, she changed gears and went back to stuffing her face with the remaining potstickers, knowing her lunch break would be over soon and Rao forbid she wasted any of them!

  
  
  
  


Lucy melted into the tight hug, her eyes closing as she felt a weight lift from her chest. Kara was fine with her. She wasn’t going to lose her little ball of sunshine before she even got a chance to try. “Thank you Kara.” She rasped out softly as clung to Kara like a lifeline for a moment. When the blonde pulled back and happily went to town on the remaining potstickers, Lucy threw her head back and laughed, feeling lighter than she had in years. 

“Come on Kara, we should pack up and get you back to CatCo before Cat throws a conniption fit.” She said with a grin as she finished off her own potstickers and packed up the container in the bag it had come in. Glancing back at her friend, she shook her head fondly as she was met with the sight of a stack of empty potsticker containers. Of course Kara wouldn’t waste anything.

Packing up Kara’s trash as well, she stood and beamed at the thoroughly hunger sated blonde when she picked up the blanket and folded it for her. Once everything was loaded back into her car, and her own leftover potstickers were given to Kara as a snack for the office, she pulled Kara into another tight hug. “Thank you again for everything Kara. You make this all just a bit more manageable.” She murmured before pulling away and all but fleeing to the driver’s seat, slightly flustered from the accidentally emotional moment. “I uh, I should get you back to CatCo. I need to get started on unpacking anyway.” She said quickly, her cheeks a little more rosy than normal as she urged Kara to get in and buckled. Within minutes they were back at CatCo and Lucy was spluttering out a few flustered, hasty goodbyes before driving off.

  
  
  
  


Kara blinked slowly from her spot on the sidewalk, Lucy’s leftovers in hand, as she watched the flustered Major drive away. What...had just happened? And why did she suddenly get the feeling she just missed something huge? Rao humans were such confusing creatures, and she’d lived as one for years!

Shrugging, she turned and headed back to her office, humming happily as she went, and turning quite a few heads from her seemingly new level of ‘Sunny Danvers’ joy. 

**Author's Note:**

> ((Yeah...it's going to have a few chapters at least. I have so many more ideas for this cute little prompt.))


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